AN MP is demanding an urgent debate into English votes for English laws after Scottish MPs voted on an amendment in Parliament only affecting England and Wales.
Shipley MP Philip Davies said the Scottish National Party should not have voted on plans to give local councils the power to allow extended Sunday trading in their areas.
The amendment, included as part of the Enterprise Bill, does not apply to Scotland as they already have longer Sunday trading than England and Wales.
Mr Davies said it was a “farce” and proved there is no such thing as English Votes for English Laws.
Speaking in the Commons Mr Davies said: “We need a debate to get this straightened out once and for all to deliver what the English public think is meant by English votes for English laws and in the mean time, a policy whereby every time the SNP vote on an issue which is devolved to them in Holyrood, which only affects English, we transfer those powers back from Holyrood to this Parliament. If they want to vote on those issues in Westminster we deliver it for them.”
Commons Speaker John Bercow decides which parts of individual Bills only affect English and Wales and therefore allowing on those MPs to vote on the matter.
Commons Leader Chris Grayling said: “What we stood on was a manifesto which would provide the English with an ability to say no to a measure being imposed upon them from other MPs from other parts of the UK.
“The SNP want to interfere now in matters like those being discussed yesterday (WED) and also team up with the Labour party and impose upon England, solutions that the English do not want.”